World War I

World War I BeginsSection 1

Causes of World War I

Nationalism

Led to competitive and antagonistic rivalries among nations

Feared Germany’s growing power

Russia – protector of Europe’s Slavic peoples

Serbs – Slavic people, under rule of Austria-Hungary

Russia and Austria-Hungary rivals

Causes of World War I

• Imperialism•Germany competed with France and Britain in the contest for colonies

Causes of World War I

Militarism

Germany - strongest nation on the European continent.

Britain – strongest navy in the world

1897 Germany competes to build up largest battleships and destroyers

France, Italy, Japan, & United States join the naval arms race.

Causes of World War I

Alliance System

Triple Entente (AKA: Allies) – France, Britain, & Russia

Triple Alliance (AKA: Central Powers) – Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Italy, later Ottoman Empire

An Assassination Leads to

War

• Balkan Peninsula• Russia wanted for

Mediterranean Sea access

• Germany wanted for rail link to Ottoman Empire

• Austria-Hungary taken control of Bosnia

An Assassination Leads to

War

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand• Heir to Austrian throne,

shot while driving through the Bosnian capital Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip (member of Black Hand)

• One nation after another pulled into the conflict

The Fighting Starts• Three kinds of trenches – front line, support, &

reserve• First Battle of the Somme – 1.2 million casualties,

only 7 miles of ground changed hands

Americans Question Neutrality

Divided Loyalties

Socialists – war as capitalist

Imperialist – struggle between Germany and Britain to control markets and colonies in China, Africa & Middle East

Pacifists – war was evil and the US should set an example of peace to the world.

Parents – didn’t want sons to experience horrors of war

Naturalized US Citizens – ties to nations from which the emigrated

The War Hits Home• The British Blockade• Blockade the German coast to prevent

weapons, other military supplies & food getting through

The War Hits Home

German U-Boat Response

U-boat = submarine – sunk any ship in British waters

Lusitania - May 7, 1915 - 128 Americans killed

Arabic – July 1915 – 2 Americans killed

Sussex – March 1916 – 80 passengers killed

The War Hits Home• The 1916 Election•Democrat – Wilson, “He Kept Us Out of War”

• Republic – Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes, believed he won

The United States Declares War

German Provocation

Zimmermann note – Germany ally with Mexico

America Acts

April 2, 1917 – President Wilson deliver war resolution

Neutrally finally shattered – pave way for future order of peace and freedom

World War I BeginsFoldable

Title: World War I Begins

Helped to ignite the war in Europe

Nationalism, Imperialism, Militarism, Alliances, Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (pages 373-374)

Opposed U.S. participation in the war

Naturalized Citizens, Socialists, Pacifists, Parents (page 377)

Encouraged U.S. participation in the war

Britain (page 377), Germany (page 378-379) , Russia (page 379-380)

Back cover: Alliances during World War I (page 379)

Allies, Central Powers

Section 1: Primary SourceThe Zimmerman note

Section 1: Primary SourceThe Zimmerman note

According to this telegram, what did the German government decide to begin on February 1, 1917?

Unlimited submarine warfare

What did Zimmerman propose if the United States went to war with Germany during World War I?

He proposed that if Mexico formed a military alliance with Germany, then Germany would help Mexico recover New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona from the United States.

If this telegram had not been intercepted by British agents, what do you think might have happened? Cite evidence from your textbook to support your opinion.

World War I Map Activity

American Power Tips the Balance

Section 2

American Stories

Ace of Aces

Eddie Rickenbacker and the First World War

America Mobilizes Raising an Army

Selective Service Act – required men to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military service 24 million registered – 3 million called up Most did not attend high school; 1 in 5 foreign

born 400,000 African-Americans,

Segregated units, excluded from navy & marines, non-combat duties.

Henry Johnson & Needham Roberts – first Americans to receive France’s highest military honor – the “cross of war”

America Mobilizes

Mass Production

Exempted many shipyard workers from the draft

US Chamber of Commerce joined in a public relations campaign to emphasize the importance of shipyard work

Used prefabrication techniques – 95 ships Government took over commercial and

private ships, converted for war use.

America Turns the Tide

Convoy system, barrier of mines

Fighting in Europe

Allied forces tired, Americans fresh & enthusiastic

American Expeditionary Force – General John J. Pershing

New Weaponsmachine gun, tank, airplane, observation balloons

Fighting “Over

There”

Filth, lice, rats, polluted water, poison gas, stench of decaying bodies, lack of sleep, battle fatigue, trench foot & mouth

The War Introduces

New Hazards

American Troops Go

on the Offensive

American War Hero

Alvin York - Conscientious objector – Medal of Honor

American Troops Go on the Offensive

The Collapse of Germany

November 3, 1918 – Austria-Hungary surrender to the Allies

11th hour, 11th day, 11th month of 1918 – Germany signed armistice

American Troops Go on the Offensive

The Final Toll

22 million deaths, 20 million wounded, 10 million refugees, cost $338 billion

United States – 48,000 lost in battle, 62,000 died of disease, 200,000 wounded

Section 2: Primary SourcePatriotic Song

Why do you think this song was used as a marching song?

Why did it spur people to give money for the war effort?

Over There

Oppy Wood(1917), John Nash

Oppy WoodImagine for a moment that you are a soldier fighting in this place.

On an index card, write a journal entry about your feelings and experiences.

The War at HomeSection 3

Congress Gives Power to Wilson

War Industries Board

Allocates scarce materials, establishes production priorities, and sets prices

Congress Gives Power to Wilson

War Economy

Wages increased Company stock increased Uneven pay between labor and management,

increasing work hours, child labor, dangerous conditions, unions boomed.

National War Labor Board – 1918 – established to settle disputes between management and labor. Refusing meant losing draft exemptions Improved factory conditions, 8-hour work day,

safety inspections, and child labor ban

Congress Gives Power to Wilson

Food Administration Help produce and

conserve food; “gospel of the clean plate”; one day a week “meatless”, “sweetless”, two days “wheatless”, two days “porkless”.

Victory Gardens

Selling the War

War Financing

US spent $35.5 billion on the war effort 1/3 raised through taxes; progressive

income tax, war-profits tax, excise tax on tobacco, liquor, and luxury goods.

2/3 raised by selling “Liberty Loan” and “Victory Loan” bonds

Selling the War Committee on Public Information

Propaganda agency, designed to influence people’s thoughts and actions.

George Creel

Persuaded artists and advertising agencies to create thousands of painting, posters, cartoons, and sculptures to promote the war.

“Four-Minute Men” – spoke about everything relating to the war

Printed 25 million copies of “How the War Came to America” – which included Wilson’s war message

Promoted patriotism, but inflamed hatred and violations of the civil liberties of certain ethnic groups and opponents of the war

Attacks on Civil Liberties Increase

Anti-Immigrant Hysteria

Main targets: Americans who had emigrated from other nations, especially Germany and Austria-Hungary

Lost jobs, orchestras refused to play German music, towns changed names, schools stopped teaching German, library books by German authors removed

Attacks on Civil Liberties Increase

Espionage and Sedition Acts Violated the spirit of

the First Amendment Targeted socialists

and labor leaders

Video

The War Encourages Social Change

African Americans and the War WEB DuBois

believed African-Americans should support the war to strengthen racial justice

The War Encourages

Social Change

The Great Migration

After turn of the century trickle of Southern Blacks to Northern cities became a tidal wave

Contributing factors: escape racial discrimination, boll weevil infestation, job opportunities

Video

The War Encourages Social Change

Women in the War

Moved into job typically held by men

Bolstered support for woman suffrage

The War Encourages Social Change

The Flu Epidemic Fall of 1918,

affected about ¼ of the US population

Possibly spread by soldiers, killed 500,000 Americans, 30 million worldwide

Methods that the government used to

persuade Americans to buy bonds…

Liberty

Bond

Newspaper & billboard adsBond drivesSpeeches by

the Four-Minute Men

paradesralliesPromotions by such movie

stars as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford,

and Charlie Chaplin

Sales talks between

theater acts

Section 3: Primary SourceLiberty Bond Poster

How much money was raised for the war through sales of Liberty Bonds?

Bonds raised about $21 million for the war effort.

Section 3: Primary SourceLiberty Bond Poster

On average how much did every American spend on Liberty Bonds?

Every American spent an average of $400 on bonds

Section 3: Primary SourceLiberty Bond Poster

How did the sale of Liberty Bonds affect the national debt?

Heavy borrowing caused the national debt to soar from $1 billion in 1914 to $27 billion in 1919.

Section 3: Primary SourceReturning Soldiers

According to DuBois, what positive principles did African Americans fight for during World War I?

For the liberations of France, for freedom, for America’s ideals.

Section 3: Primary SourceReturning Soldiers

Why does he characterize the United States as “a shameful land”?

Because the United States does not treat all of its citizens fairly and subjects African Americans to lynching, disenfranchisement, discrimination in education, cheating, and insults.

Section 3: Primary SourceReturning Soldiers

What fight does he believe should be fought now that African-American soldiers have returned home?

The fight for democracy, equality, and justice in the United States.

Section 3: Primary SourceReturning Soldiers

Members of Congress accused DuBois of inciting race riots. What evidence, if any, do you find in this excerpt to support their accusations?

Some may say that DuBois uses inflammatory language and urges his readers to fight for democracy. Others may say that this excerpt contains no evidence that DuBois incited race riots.

Wilson Fights for Peace

Section 4

Wilson Presents His Plan

Fourteen Points

Plan for world peace; points 1-5 = to prevent another war, 6-13 = boundary changes, 14 = creation of League of Nations

The Allies Reject Wilson’s Plan

Allied leaders angry, wanted to punish Central Powers

Central Powers had no say Wilson conceded on most of Fourteen Points

in return for League of Nations

Debating the Treaty of Versailles Provisions of the Treaty

9 new nations France & Britain temporarily gain 4

areas of the Ottoman Empire Germany has no army & forced to pay

reparations of $33 billion to Allies

Debating the Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty’s Weaknesses

The severe treatment of Germany fails to provide a lasting peace; problems eventually led to WWII

Germany – Humiliated; war-guilt clause; no way to pay reparations due to lost territories

Russia excluded – lost territory, wanted it back

Ignored claims of colonized people for self-determination

Debating the Treaty of Versailles

Opposition to the Treaty

Too harsh with dire economic consequences

Did not end colonialism Treaty did not satisfy self-

determination demands of ethnic groups

Debating the Treaty of Versailles

Debate Over the League of Nations

A few thought it threatened the US foreign policy of isolationism

Conservative senators were suspicious of the provision for joint economic and military action against aggression. Wanted the constitutional right of Congress to declare war.

Debating the Treaty of Versailles

Wilson Refuses to Compromise

Wilson set out on 8,000 mile tour giving 34 speeches explaining why the US should join the League of Nations; suffered a stroke, partially paralyzed for more than 2 months

Senate added amendments which qualified the terms under which the US would enter the League of Nations; Senate rejected the amendments, failed to ratify the treaty

Wilson refused to compromise; Senate again failed to ratify

US signed a separate treaty with Germany in 1921 with President Harding

Video

The Legacy of War

America – strengthened US military and power of government; accelerated social change; fears and antagonisms left unchanneled

Europe – destruction and massive loss of life severely damaged social and political systems

Called “the war to end all wars”, however, unresolved issues would create another war; Treaty of Versailles solved nothing

Interrupting the Ceremony

This 1918 cartoon shows Senate opposition to U.S. membership in the League of Nations. At President Wilson’s insistence, the covenant to establish the League had been written into the Versailles Treaty, which ended World War I. The United States never signed the Treaty, largely because of disagreement over America’s involvement in the League of Nations.